2020.01 57-2 The Experience of Elementary School Counselors Using Art Materials in Child Counseling during the Art Therapy Training Program Training
In recent years, elementary school mental health needs have been in the spotlight. As demands for student counseling increase, the use of art therapy can be an expandable and flexible approach to child counseling for elementary school counselors. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of using art materials in child counseling by elementary school counselors. The subjects were 15 experienced school counselors who participated in a three-hour art therapy professional training program for eight weeks. The approach adopted in this training program included basic concepts of art therapy, art materials applications and experiences, group discussions, practical work demonstrations, and sharing experiences. The concept of art therapy was learned during the training process, and the trainees returned to their schools to verify the effectiveness of art therapy in child counseling. This study was an explorative, descriptive, and qualitative study. Data was collected from 15 subjects by two focus group interviews after the training program and analyzed using qualitative content. The results of the study showed that art therapy applied to child counseling revealed six major themes and seventeen concepts: (1) Expand the trainee's understanding of children through the creative art process: (a) Enhance trainee's deeper understanding and patience with children, (b) Focus on the present interaction with children while giving feedback; (2) Be present and witness children making changes during the creative art process: (a) Respect the autonomy of children by providing space as needed, (b) Create a positive atmosphere, (c) Accompany children to recover from emotional pain, (d) Develop problem-solving skills; (3) Provide children a safe place to comfort their
minds: (a) Break through the limitations of verbal expression and project one's inner world while processing artwork. (b) Provide children a safe space to express and release emotions, (c) Use art materials to connect with one's sensory feelings and emotions; (4) Empower children through art products: (a) Review art products to enhance self-image, (b) Internalize the symbolic meaning of art products; (5) Promote positive therapeutic relationships through the creative art process: (a) Provide opportunities to build relationships, (b) Increase here and now conversations, (c) Gain a closer view into children's inner world with non-verbal approaches; (6) Understand limitations of incorporating art into child counseling: (a) Some children do not like art making, (b) Restrictions of class time affect the arrangement of activities, (c) Art materials may not always be readily accessible. The following were discussed based on the results of the study: (1) Art therapy assists school counselors to enhance their understanding and patience with children, (2) Children have a sense of mastery in the art therapy process, (3) Art therapy is an avenue to self-exploration and empowerment of children through art therapy activity and the use of art materials, (4) Art therapy provides opportunities to promote therapeutic relationships and increase conversations here and now, (5) There are limitations of using art materials in child counseling. The results were compared and contrasted extensively with existing literature, and this study showed that the use of art materials in school counseling provided counselors a way to promote the treatment process and counseling relationships. Finally, based on the research results, this study suggested that multiple methods can be used in researching the experiences of school counselors and using art materials in child counseling for offering complementary insights. Moreover, the applications and suggestions of training institutions and professional development are discussed and proposed in the study.
Keywords
Art therapy, child counseling and guidance|school counseling, school counselor
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